Brett Hudson Hillyer | |
|---|---|
| Member of the OhioHouseofRepresentatives from the 51st district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Sara Carruthers |
| Member of the OhioHouseofRepresentatives from the 98th district | |
| In office January 7,2019 –December 31,2022 | |
| Preceded by | Al Landis |
| Succeeded by | Darrell Kick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 16,1986 |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Anna Hillyer |
| Residence | Uhrichsville,Ohio |
| Alma mater | University of Akron,Ohio Northern University |
Brett Hillyer (born April 16,1986) is an American politician from Ohio. Hillyer is a Republican Party member of the Ohio House of Representatives,representing the 51st district since 2019. Hillyer's district includes all of Tuscarawas County and half of Holmes County.
During the 2018 Ohio House election cycle,Brett Hillyer was identified in reporting as one of the Republican candidates recruited by then-State Representative Larry Householder as part of an organized effort to regain the speakership of the Ohio House of Representatives. According to an investigation by Cleveland.com,Householder assembled a slate of candidates,commonly referred to as “Team Householder,”who were encouraged to run for office with the expectation that they would support his bid for Speaker if elected. Schmidt was listed among the candidates recruited as part of this strategy. [1]
The successful election of multiple Team Householder candidates enabled Householder to secure enough internal support to be elected Speaker at the start of the 133rd Ohio General Assembly. [2]
During the 134th Ohio General Assembly,Brett Hillyer voted against the expulsion of former House Speaker Larry Householder,who had been federally indicted and later convicted in connection with the Ohio nuclear bribery scandal tied to House Bill 6. The Ohio House voted 75–21 to expel Householder,with Brett Hillyer among the 21 Republican members who opposed the resolution. [3] [4]
The expulsion marked the first removal of a sitting Ohio House member in more than a century and occurred amid broader fallout from the HB 6 scandal,which involved allegations of racketeering,bribery,and the use of dark money to influence state energy policy.
The expulsion vote occurred amid the broader Ohio nuclear bribery scandal,which centered on House Bill 6 and related dark-money activity.
Rep. Brett Hudson Hillyer supported House Bill 6 (HB 6),the 2019 energy law later tied to what prosecutors described as the largest corruption scandal in Ohio history. The $60 million bribery and racketeering scheme,centered on former House Speaker Larry Householder,was funded by FirstEnergy Corporation. See Ohio nuclear bribery scandal.
According to campaign finance records,Hillyer received $1,500 from the FirstEnergy political action committee in 2018. [5]
Hillyer previously served as the city prosecutor and law director for Uhrichsville,Ohio. [6] He is a graduate of the University of Akron and Ohio Northern University. [7] As a city prosecutor,Hillyer was influential in setting up Land banking in his area. [8]
In 2018,state Representatives Al Landis was unable to run for another term due to term limits,leaving the seat vacant. [9] In a crowded Republican primary,Hillyer won the Republican nomination over four other candidates. [10] In November 2018,Hillyer won the election and became a Republican Party member of the Ohio House of Representatives,representing the 98th district. [11]
Hillyer's wife is Anna Hillyer. Hillyer and his family live in Uhrichsville,Ohio. [11]